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Shanmugam wants PAP to provide greater “political education” for Singaporeans
December 16, 2009
Singapore Law Minister K Shanmugam wants the PAP to provide greater “political education” for Singaporeans, in particular, students in order for the PAP to stay in power continuously for more than 70 years, a feat not achieved by any political party in the world yet.
The longest-dominant party in power in the world was the Partido Revolucionario Institutional of Mexico which governed Mexico from 1927 to 1997 before being booted out unceremoniously by voters in 1997 when it lost its majorities in both chambers of the Mexican federal congress for the first time in history.
The PAP is the second longest-lived political party in the world having ruled Singapore continuously for 50 years since 1959. The longest-lived is the Chinese Communist Party of China, in power since 1949.
Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, which used to be in second place, was voted out of office during the recent general election in August this year.
In an interview with the PAP’s bi-monthly magazine Petir, Mr Shanmugam felt that though the PAP has stayed in power because it has delivered “progress” to the people, “younger voters can erode its dominant position should the party fail to convince them that Singapore, more than most countries, needs a strong leadership and a political system that allows for effective and speedy decisions to be made.”
He suggested that students “be taught, among other things, how political systems work in different cultures, the impact of geographical and social factors on societies and why city states rise and fall.”
‘This will make people look carefully at the liberal democratic model and help them decide which aspects best suit Singapore….Not every aspect can be transplanted in toto across cultures, without regard to different economic, social and geostrategic situations,” he added.
Mr Shanmugam’s remarks came at a time when the PAP is facing increasing pressure from both at home and abroad to liberalize Singapore’s archaic political system which is designed and manipulated to entrench the PAP in power forever.
All state institutions, including the media, the police, NGOs, grassroots organizations, civil service, religious organizations and trade unions are tightly controlled by the PAP directly or indirectly in one way or another.
The opposition is deliberately kept weak and divided by bankrupting is leaders with ruinous defamation lawsuits so as to prevent the emergence of a credible alternative to challenge the PAP.
Mr Shanmugam said that Singapore, more than most countries, needs a strong leadership and a political system that allows for effective and speedy decisions to be made and this message PAP’s message had resonated with the older generation who experienced the turmoil of Singapore’s early years.
“But the collective memory of this is not as strong among newer generations, whose viewpoints will increasingly influence the political process,……..Younger Singaporeans may therefore believe that the Western model of liberal democracy can be adopted without trade-offs,” he added.
Mr Shanmugam’s message in a PAP mouthpiece for PAP members are strangely given extensive coverage by the Straits Times, which is owned by SPH, whose Chairman is a former PAP minister, Dr Tony Tan.
The process of “educating” Singapore students in the PAP’s brand of “acceptable politics” may have already kicked off.
It is reported that libraries of some primary schools in Singapore are stocked with copies of the cartoon version of the PAP propaganda masterpiece – “Men in White” and students are “encouraged” to read them.
Shanmugam wants PAP to provide greater “political education” for Singaporeans
December 16, 2009
Singapore Law Minister K Shanmugam wants the PAP to provide greater “political education” for Singaporeans, in particular, students in order for the PAP to stay in power continuously for more than 70 years, a feat not achieved by any political party in the world yet.
The longest-dominant party in power in the world was the Partido Revolucionario Institutional of Mexico which governed Mexico from 1927 to 1997 before being booted out unceremoniously by voters in 1997 when it lost its majorities in both chambers of the Mexican federal congress for the first time in history.
The PAP is the second longest-lived political party in the world having ruled Singapore continuously for 50 years since 1959. The longest-lived is the Chinese Communist Party of China, in power since 1949.
Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, which used to be in second place, was voted out of office during the recent general election in August this year.
In an interview with the PAP’s bi-monthly magazine Petir, Mr Shanmugam felt that though the PAP has stayed in power because it has delivered “progress” to the people, “younger voters can erode its dominant position should the party fail to convince them that Singapore, more than most countries, needs a strong leadership and a political system that allows for effective and speedy decisions to be made.”
He suggested that students “be taught, among other things, how political systems work in different cultures, the impact of geographical and social factors on societies and why city states rise and fall.”
‘This will make people look carefully at the liberal democratic model and help them decide which aspects best suit Singapore….Not every aspect can be transplanted in toto across cultures, without regard to different economic, social and geostrategic situations,” he added.
Mr Shanmugam’s remarks came at a time when the PAP is facing increasing pressure from both at home and abroad to liberalize Singapore’s archaic political system which is designed and manipulated to entrench the PAP in power forever.
All state institutions, including the media, the police, NGOs, grassroots organizations, civil service, religious organizations and trade unions are tightly controlled by the PAP directly or indirectly in one way or another.
The opposition is deliberately kept weak and divided by bankrupting is leaders with ruinous defamation lawsuits so as to prevent the emergence of a credible alternative to challenge the PAP.
Mr Shanmugam said that Singapore, more than most countries, needs a strong leadership and a political system that allows for effective and speedy decisions to be made and this message PAP’s message had resonated with the older generation who experienced the turmoil of Singapore’s early years.
“But the collective memory of this is not as strong among newer generations, whose viewpoints will increasingly influence the political process,……..Younger Singaporeans may therefore believe that the Western model of liberal democracy can be adopted without trade-offs,” he added.
Mr Shanmugam’s message in a PAP mouthpiece for PAP members are strangely given extensive coverage by the Straits Times, which is owned by SPH, whose Chairman is a former PAP minister, Dr Tony Tan.
The process of “educating” Singapore students in the PAP’s brand of “acceptable politics” may have already kicked off.
It is reported that libraries of some primary schools in Singapore are stocked with copies of the cartoon version of the PAP propaganda masterpiece – “Men in White” and students are “encouraged” to read them.
